Oral History Practicum: United States History and Stanford History Through Oral History

Oral history gathers, preserves, and interprets the spoken memories of participants in past events. The subjects of interviews range from public figures to behind-the-scenes actors to people and communities whose stories and perspectives are often excluded from traditional historical narratives. In this class, students will examine aspects of United States history and the history of Stanford University through the medium of oral history. By reading exemplary historical studies based on oral histories, analyzing transcripts and recordings of individual life narratives, and conducting oral histories of Stanford community members in collaboration with the Stanford Historical Society, students will learn how this interviewee-centered methodology contributes to our understanding of contemporary history (since the twentieth century). Each week one class session typically will center on discussions of secondary readings and primary oral history sources and the second session will focus on methodological issues and training in doing oral history.